Michael Llodra, Andy Murray's second-round opponent at the US Open, has a
killer forehand - he once killed a bird on court when his shot struck it
mid-flight.

He is also known for having once climbed naked into a colleague's locker so that he could shock him when he returned from the showers. And the Frenchman has been known to celebrate his successes by stripping on court. Murray's opponent is hardly one of the dullards of tennis.

Llodra also has the potential to be awkward when they play on the Grandstand Court, the third biggest arena at Flushing Meadows.

They have played once before, with Murray winning in straight sets at the indoor tournament in Metz last autumn, but the Briton knows that Llodra can be "tricky".

They were on opposite sides of the net at the Beijing Olympics, with Llodra and Arnaud Clement putting Murray and his brother out of the doubles in the second round, so they have had a recent look at each other's games.

Still, Murray is much more comfortable on a singles court than he is when playing the team game, and he should have enough to defeat Llodra and so follow Anne Keothavong, the British women's No 1, into the last 32.

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Everyone in this section of the draw is keeping an eye on Juan Martin Del Potro, the teenager from Argentina who has won his last 20 matches – that run includes scoring four titles.

Murray and Del Potro could meet in the quarter-finals. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First up for Murray is the bird-killing, practical-joking Frenchman.